Akron native and Copley resident Katharine A. “Kit” Harpley has been named academic coordinator for the Physician Assistant Studies Program at Mount Union College.

According to Sharon Luke, director of the PA program, “Kit provides a fresh perspective to what PA programs should strive to be, as well as what clinical physician assistants look like. She is hard-working and her energy is infectious. I think Kit will work well with, and on behalf of, our students.”

As academic coordinator, Harpley will work closely with the program director and medical director to ensure that the curriculum and course sequencing for the program are appropriate. She will also be responsible for investigating the best mechanism for making curriculum changes as they occur. In addition, she will have teaching responsibilities within the program.

Harpley earned a bachelor of arts degree in biology from Northern Michigan University and a master of medical science and physician assistant certificate from Midwestern University in Illinois.

Prior to joining Mount Union, she served as a physician assistant in cardiothoracic and vascular surgery at Akron General Medical Center.